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Successful shows such as "The Walking Dead" and "American Horror Story" are breathing new life into the horror genre. With "The Walking Dead," AMC scored the top show in the critical 18-to-49 age bracket, making the genre more attractive to advertisers as well as audiences.

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AMC has signed a long-term production agreement with "The Walking Dead" creator Robert Kirkman that covers the hit series, upcoming spinoff "Fear the Walking Dead" and episode recap series "Talking Dead," plus another new series in development called "Thief of Thieves." The pact doesn't include "Outcast," a series from Kirkman based on a comic book that will air on Cinemax.

AMC's "The Walking Dead" on Sunday established highs for a season finale, attracting 15.8 million viewers, including 10.4 million in the 18-to-49 demographic. During the fifth season, "The Walking Dead" increased its share of the 18-to-49 group by 9% over the previous season.

AMC has renewed hit drama series "The Walking Dead" for a fifth season, with Scott Gimple continuing as show runner along with executive producers Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Greg Nicotero and Tom Luse. "The Walking Dead," with an average of 14.3 million viewers and a 7.4 rating among the key 18-to-49 group, is the most popular scripted series on TV.

FX and AMC, by airing new episodes of young male-skewing "Sons of Anarchy," "American Horror Story" and "The Walking Dead" at the start of the broadcast season, are likely to have the advantage in reaching the coveted demographic, because the broadcast competition tends to skew female. "The Walking Dead" is part of AMC's strategy of targeting specific audiences with its original content. "We ask, 'As we develop this concept, how do we superserve a specific target?' " said Charlie Collier, the network's president and general manager. "Hopefully it'll become a sizable target audience's favorite show."

AMC on Oct. 16 will unveil a live "after-show" connected to its "The Walking Dead" series. "Talking Dead" will feature host Chris Hardwick and will include segments with cast members, fans and producers.